


Diamonds in the Rough: LWA Rarepair Week 2020

by SailorPortia



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Blushing, Denial, Domestic Fluff, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Hoodies, LWA Rarepair Week 2020, Love Letters, Pining, Polyamory, Romance, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26666338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorPortia/pseuds/SailorPortia
Summary: It's rarepair week, and I'm back on my LWA rarepair BS!!Day One: Lotte receives a love letter and immediately shows it to her study buddy DianaDay Two: Hannah and Barbara call Amanda to take care of them when they're too sick to get out of bedDay Three: Hannah develops feelings for that totally infuriating girl Akko and is too proud to admit itDay Four: Akko and Amanda argue over a hoodie
Relationships: Atsuko "Akko" Kagari/Amanda O'Neill, Diana Cavendish/Lotte Yanson, Hannah England/Amanda O'Neill/Barbara Parker, Hannah England/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Comments: 53
Kudos: 119





	1. How They Started

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter is late because I lost the first version of it due to technical incompetence dsfdskf

"Diana! You're never going to believe this!" Lotte said as she approached their usual table in the school's library. She was closer to floating than walking. Usually she only got this excited for a new Nightfall book. Lotte always looked forward to her study sessions with Diana, but today was special.

Diana held a finger to her lips. "Please keep your voice down. This is a library, after all." A library empty except for the two of them, nobody else to disturb, but the principle needed to be respected nevertheless.

"Sorry." Lotte took her seat next to her study buddy. "It's just that, well, maybe it's easier if I just show you." She retrieved an envelope from her pocket and placed it on the table in front of Diana. A blot of red wax with a heart design pressed into it had been used to seal the envelope, though the wax was no longer holding it shut.

"Are you giving me a love letter?" The corner of Diana's mouth twitched into something approximating a smirk.

"N-no!" Lotte's cheeks turned pleasantly pink and she hurried to open the envelope and get out the letter. "Somebody gave it to  _ me. _ I wanted to show you before anyone else."

"I'm flattered, but why me? Aren't you closer with your roommates? Or one of mine, for that matter?"

Lotte worried at her lower lip with her teeth. "Well, Akko and Sucy wouldn't take it seriously. They wouldn't be mean, but they might tease me. Barbara and I aren't  _ that _ close, and we mostly talk about  _ Nightfall _ . If I brought the letter to her, we'd get distracted by discussing the love letter that Arthur gave to Bella in volume 249. I wanted to talk to you about it first because, well, you're always so kind and helpful."

"I'm pleased you think so," Diana said. "Would you like to read it to me?"

"Oh no, I couldn't." Lotte covered her face with her hands. "It would be too embarrassing."

"Shall I read it to myself then?" Diana waited for Lotte's confirmation before running her eyes over the letter. She smiled softly and handed the letter back. "That was wonderful. I'm happy for you."

"It's more than wonderful!" Lotte said, stars glittering in her eyes. "That love letter is the most amazing, romantic thing that's ever happened to me!" She sighed dreamily. "Every passage is perfectly crafted, and the handwriting is so beautiful! The writer knows me so well! Just listen to this: ' _ It was your love of the romantic that drew me in. When you say you wish someone would sweep you off your feet, it makes me want to take you away. When you tell me how much you love stories about long-lost princesses, it makes me want to spoil you. When you talk about your dreams, it makes me want to support you as best I can.'  _ It's even signed  _ 'your secret admirer' _ . Could this person be any more romantic?"

Diana smiled as she listened to Lotte gush. "I'm sure your secret admirer would be delighted to hear that."

"Exactly!" Lotte suddenly seized Diana's hands. "I need your help finding out who my secret admirer is so I can thank them!"

Diana stared awkwardly at their joined hands. "But is it not the purpose of being a  _ secret _ admirer that one's identity remains unknown? Isn't that what makes it romantic?"

"Yes. but this love letter is so exquisite that I have to let my secret admirer know how much I appreciate it!"

"I'm... sure that your feelings will come across regardless," Diana said. "If they're watching you from afar, they'll figure out soon enough on their own."

"That's not enough! I need your help to find my secret admirer so I can tell them all this directly to their face."

"Is that really the wisest course of action?" Diana asked. "Didn't your secret admirer say that they weren't ready to have their feelings known, and that they wished to adore you from afar?"

"Maybe not," Lotte conceded. "But this is important to me."

"When you find them, are you going to answer their feelings? If you start dating your secret admirer, you won't have as much time for our study sessions." The corner of Diana's mouth twitched again. "I might get jealous."

"I w-wouldn't let a romantic relationship get in the way of our friendship!" Lotte said. "Our study sessions are really important to me. Besides, I can't date my secret admirer if I don't know who they are."

Diana disentangled their hands and leaned away, diverting her gaze with some difficulty. "Well, I... I can't justify revealing the identity of your secret admirer without their permission," Diana said. She chewed her bottom lip uncertainly. "You're very talented, Lotte. I'm sure you can figure out this mystery on your own, given time." There was something bittersweet in her smile.

Lotte sighed. "I understand. Sorry for trying to involve you in this. I'll try to find my secret admirer on my own. Somehow I'll find a way, even if I don't have any talents besides..." Her eyes lit up. "That's it!"

Diana made the connection at the same time and her face blanched.

"I can use spirit magic!" Lotte beamed. "How did I not think of it before?" She retrieved her wand from her belt.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't spirit magic only have effect on objects with a considerable history?" Diana asked.

"Usually, yes. But objects of sentimental value are different. The feelings my secret admirer poured into this letter might give it enough meaning that the spirit magic will work."

Diana's jaw tightened, but Lotte was too focused on the letter to notice.

Lotte pointed her wand at the love letter and recited the spell. The paper glowed, enveloped in a film of light that coalesced into a sphere that floated over the table for a moment before transforming into a small, azure spirit. Something about it was familiar to Lotte. Maybe it was the colour...

"Hello," she said to the spirit. She touched her index fingers together. "Um, if it's not too much trouble, could you help me find the person who wrote this letter?"

The love letter's spirit bashfully pointed to Diana.

Lotte slowly turned and faced her. "D-Diana?"

"What is it, Lotte?" Diana's attempt to maintain her composure would have worked if not for that which she could not control, namely the blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Did you... write this letter?"

Diana's blush went from pink to red. "The alternative would be that your spirit magic is faulty, and I have the utmost confidence in your abilities."

It took Lotte a moment to realize that Diana wasn't denying the charge. Then her face grew hot enough to fog up her glasses. "W-wait. Does that mean you l-like me?"

"That was the sentiment I was attempting to convey, yes."

Lotte's mind started spinning. Diana liked her? Like,  _ like _ liked her? Of all the people who could have written the letter, she never would have suspected Diana. After all, how could she—invisible Lotte—attract the attention of the school's top student, the greatest witch of her generation? Sure, they studied together at least once a week, and they often ate lunch together, and Diana read every book Lotte recommended, but that didn't mean anything, right? They were friends, that's all. Diana was so beautiful and kind, and if she wanted to date someone, she'd have her pick of suitors. Next to her, Lotte considered herself inordinately plain.

"Why?"

Diana took a deep breath and laid a hand over Lotte's. "I believe I explained why in my letter, but allow me to reiterate; I enjoy your company. You're a refuge from the chaos in our social circle, and I've come to treasure our time together more than anything else. I've long suspected that you don't value yourself quite as much as you should, Lotte. You're kind and unpretentious, unlike many of the petty and self-important people who have vied for my hand in the past. And as I stated in my letter, your love for the Romantic is endearing. Unfortunately, I can't be as straightforward with my affections as you, so I resorted to an anonymous love letter. I thought you would be satisfied with the romance of having a secret admirer, and I never would've expected you'd search for the letter's writer and find me out almost instantly. However, now that you've found me out..."

Diana lowered her head and pressed a kiss to the back of Lotte's hand. "I'd very much like to court you, if you'll have me."

Electricity travelled from Lotte's hand up her arm, culminating in a storm of static in her brain. "Yes!" she yelped. "I mean, if you're fine with me... gosh, courting..." Lotte hadn't been intending to respond to her secret admirer's feelings, but only because she never thought it possible that Diana was an option. She'd been suspecting for a long time that the thrill she got from their study sessions wasn't academic or totally platonic, and the effect of that kiss confirmed her hunch.

Diana raised her head again and let out a sigh of relief. Her blushing had yet to abate, and her eyes softened as they met Lotte's. "Thank the Nines." She ran a hand through her hair. "I was so certain that I would bungle this moment and you'd reject me."

Lotte couldn't imagine turning Diana down, even if she had been a stammering mess. In fact, it would have been less intimidating that way. "But you're so composed?" Save for the blush, Diana's confession looked impeccably level-headed, particularly in the context of having been unexpectedly exposed.

"Please. I didn't spend years repressing my emotions like a good aristocrat only to wear my heart on my sleeve when it really matters."

Lotte blinked. Angst-ridden, traumatic back-stories weren't as juicy in real life as they were in fiction. She was going to have to help Diana work on that. "Well, you don't have to repress your emotions around me, Diana. I'll always be here for you."

Diana nodded. For a moment it looked as if she might shed a tear, but she regained her composure again and cleared her throat. "Now that we've sorted out that matter, shall we move onto reviewing our notes? This  _ is _ a study session, after all."

"But there's so much to talk about! Did you use any references for your love letter? Because it kind of reminded me of—"

"Shhh." Diana placed a finger over Lotte's lips. "This is a library, remember?"

Lotte squeaked. Had Diana been reading Lotte's favourite fanfics, or was she just that smooth? "O-okay."


	2. Get Taken Care of By Spouse(s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannah and Barbara wake up one morning too sick to get out of bed. Luckily their occasional booty call, Amanda, is too sweet to say no to their request for help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda played fast and loose with the prompt for this one, but I think it's close enough xD

Hannah and Barbara were always in-sync, even before their marriage. They liked the same things, had the same social circle, and wore matching clothes. Before they even started dating, they were inseparable, to the point that even showering was a shared activity. Once they became girlfriend and girlfriend, they practically became one entity. They did everything together.

Even fall ill.

Hannah woke up with a sickly fever, her auburn hair plastered to her face from her sweating. She desperately hoped Barbara hadn't caught the same thing, but her fears were confirmed when Barbara woke up coughing and struggled to sit up.

"Are you alright, babe?" Hannah patted her wife on the back. "Do you think you'll be able to get up?"

"In a minute or two," Barbara said. She let out a little cough. "I feel terrible. How did this happen to us?"

This wasn't the first time they had synchronized illnesses, but the previous instances had been limited to colds and food poisoning from eating the same food. The last time they were this sick they were children; now that they were adults they would have to take care of themselves. They'd always taken care of each other, but that might not be an option today. If only one of them were sick, the other could take care of her.

"I don't want to get out of bed," Hannah moaned as Barbara wiped away sweat from her forehead with the sleeve of her pyjama shirt. "Can we just go back to sleep?"

"We'll only feel worse if we don't have anything to eat or drink," Barbara reasoned. "Maybe we can get up and make breakfast later."

They tried to get up after a few minutes, but found they were too weak to stand for long. Luckily it was Saturday and neither of them had work on the weekends. Less lucky was that they'd planned on relaxing and spending time with friends. Their sudden illness shot down those plans pretty decisively.

"If only there were someone we could call to take care of us," Hannah said. None of their friends were available. Diana would be at work, as would Akko. Avery moved back to Canada, and Mary and Blair were on vacation in East Mogiana.

"There's always Amanda."

If she weren't already suffering from a fever, Hannah's face would have heated up from blushing. "She wouldn't show up."

"Really? She certainly showed up last weekend."

She certainly had. Amanda had been complaining to them through text that she was bored and wanted to hang out with someone. They invited her over, one thing led to another, and all three of them ended up in bed together. And it wasn't the first time.

Hannah and Barbara agreed, as they always did, that Amanda was attractive, and they frequently  _ joked  _ about fooling around with Amanda, both amongst themselves and in front of their potential third. They couldn't even get through their wedding without  _ joking _ about taking pity on their 'poor single friend, Amanda' and bringing her into their wedding bed—she looked so tempting in that tux.

Not one year into their marriage, Amanda had a break-up so disastrous that she left for the United Kingdom to get away from it all. She needed a place to stay for a while, and Hannah and Barbara obliged her. Then they did much more than oblige her. It was just a fling, something to help Amanda get over her break-up. All three of them thought it was be over once Amanda got her own place. And it was over, for a while. But as long as Amanda was single, they didn't have any reason not to do it again, and Amanda was just as single as she was when she arrived through the leyline.

It was all very "no strings attached". Hannah and Barbara were a married couple, after all, and Amanda was just their occasional third. Sure, she was part of their social circle again now that she was back in the UK, but it totally wasn't deeper than that.

"Just call her," Barbara repeated. "She'll probably help us out if we ask."

"If you say so." Hannah reached over to the bedside table and grabbed her phone. Hesitantly, she thumbed through her contacts and called Amanda.

"If you're calling this early, somebody better be dead."

"Early? It's literally eleven in the morning."

"Yeah, and I was asleep like a normal person."

"Since when are you normal?" Hannah rolled her eyes. "Anyway, why'd you call me at the worst hour in the morning?"

"Me and Babs caught something and we feel like shit."

"Big rip. Is it bad?"

"We'll live, but we can barely get out of bed. Could you... could you come over and take care of us?"

Amanda was silent for a moment. When she spoke again, her tone was much softer. "Isn't Cavendish a doctor? Why didn't you ask her?"

"Because she's busy."

"And I'm not?"

"Are you?"

The silence on the other end of the line was answer enough. It was clear to Hannah that this phone call wasn't going anywhere.

"Let me talk to her," Barbara said. Hannah handed over the phone to her. "Hi, Amanda. It's Barbara. Yeah, I've got a bit of a cough. Yes. We'd really appreciate it if you could come over, maybe in a bit. It would be—oh, you will? You don't need to come over that soon. Well, if you insist. See you soon."

She hung up and handed Hannah back her phone. "She said she'll be over as soon as she can."

"Thank the Nines. You know how to handle her way better than me."

"I just don't have the same energy to argue as you do right now." Barbara let out a yawn. "Do you think we have time for a nap?" She lay down without waiting for an answer. Hannah followed suit; though she intended to stay awake until Amanda showed up, she passed out before Barbara.

* * *

Amanda didn't know how she'd gotten herself into this situation. Well, she did, but she didn't want to acknowledge how easily she was swayed by gorgeous women asking for favours.

As soon as she hung up, she rolled out of bed and threw on some clean clothes, including one of her favourite hoodies. Hannah would be too sick to try to steal it today. She grabbed her broom and two slices of cold pizza from the box she'd left out on her kitchen table before heading out the door.

Brooms were so much better than cars. As long as she was high enough (but not in aircraft range), there were no traffic laws to hold her back. She ate her pizza as she leisurely sped above the busy streets between her flat and Hannah and Barbara's house. She knew the way well.

Amanda touched down at their front doorstep and fished her copy of the key out of her pocket.  _ By the Nines _ she had her own spare key. What even was their relationship?

She let herself in and went right to the bedroom, which would have been very spicy if the room's occupants weren't conked out from their fevers. Amanda checked on Hannah first, prodding her forehead. "You still alive?" she asked when the woman's eyes fluttered open.

"No."

"Sucks to suck. In that case I'm going to marry your widow."

"So bold," Barbara said, having been awoken by the conversation. "Hannah, are you just going to take that?"

"Too sick to put up a fight."

Amanda frowned. Bickering with Hannah and Barbara was one of her favourite activities, but it wasn't fun if they didn't have the energy for it. "Since both of you are still alive I guess I've got no choice but to make you guys breakfast. The usual?"

Hannah and Barbara nodded, and Amanda went to the kitchen. She knew where to find everything, a novel experience for her. Even her non-casual relationships hadn't gotten to this level. Maybe...

Amanda shook her head and started making breakfast for the invalids: pancakes and scrambled eggs.

With a plate in each hand, she returned to the bedroom. Hannah and Barbara were already sitting up in anticipation for breakfast in bed. Amanda carefully placed a plate in either girl's lap. "If you spill syrup in your sheets, I'm not cleaning it up."

The couple murmured an affirmative. Amanda sat down on the bed between them in case either needed help. Luckily, they lasted long enough to finish breakfast before keeling over again.

"You guys were right," Amanda said, collecting up the dishes. "You really are a mess."

Hannah said something to her which couldn't be repeated in polite company.

"That's no way for a lady to talk."

"You can't tell her how to talk," Barbara mumbled, half into her pillow. "You're not her wife."

Amanda rolled her eyes. She thought about saying something to the effect of "Then why am I taking care of you guys like I'm your wife?" but thought better of it. No sense in being petty to sick people who were barely awake.

She took the dirty dishes back out to the kitchen and came back with two glasses of water. Before she could ask if they needed anything else, Hannah and Barbara fell asleep again.

Shaking her head and smiling, Amanda left the room so she wouldn't risk waking them up.

Those two really were out of it. There was probably more Amanda could be doing for them, but healthcare wasn't exactly her forte. She wracked her brains for something that would help, but failed. In the end, Amanda resorted to something she'd rather eat her own toenails than do: text Diana for advice.

**Amanda:** Paging Dr. Loser: how do I take care of someone with a fever?

She didn't expect Diana to get back to her immediately, so she looked around the kitchen to ascertain what kind of ingredients Hannah and Barbara had lying around. Who knows how long she'd be here and whether she'd have to cook another meal for them. Within the hour, her phone beeped with Diana's response.

**Cavendish:** Would it be too much to hope that you can use a cooling spell?

**Amanda:** Uh probably. What's the incantation again?

She imagined Diana sighing with exasperation as she typed

**Cavendish:** It isn't that hard. Even you can't mess it up

**Amanda:** Bite me

**Cavendish:** If you aren't confident you can correctly perform an anaesthetic spell, just give them painkillers, such as ibuprofen.

**Amanda:** Right. Cool

**Amanda:** Thanks

**Cavendish:** Did that hurt you to say?

**Amanda:** Yes

**Cavendish:** If I might ask, who are you taking care of?

**Amanda:** Hannah and Barbara

**Cavendish:** I might have guessed. As Akko would say, you're such a simp

**Amanda:** Eat my shorts, Cavendish

She stowed her phone away in disgust. A simp? Her? Would a simp talk back to the women she was simping for? Amanda thought not. Now that she'd sorted all that out, she went back to thinking about what she would be cooking for Hannah and Barbara.

Amanda checked in on them every once in a while to see if they needed anything. Once they woke up again, she got them ibuprofen and performed a cooling spell on both of her patients. Hannah and Barbara were well enough to stay up for an hour to chat before resting again.

Amanda got a little rest herself; back at Luna Nova she'd perfected the ability to sleep lightly in class and could wake up as soon as she heard her name. Embarrassingly, she ended up having one of these catnaps on the foot of Hannah and Barbara's bed. Like a pet.

Dinner time rolled around and Amanda realized she had no idea what to feed Hannah and Barbara. She defaulted to her old standby.

"Pizza? Really?" Hannah sleepily blinked at the box of pizza that had been dropped into her lap.

"Sorry for cursing your palate with peasant food. I couldn't think of something to make, and it's not like you'd be well enough to appreciate it if I served you caviar and foie gras."

"Fair enough," Barbara said. "Ooh! You got all the right toppings."

Amanda held herself back from making the obvious joke. "I do actually listen to you, y'know."

As if to put that to the test, Hannah and Barbara filled Amanda in on what they'd been up to lately. Hannah landed a permanent column in a major fashion magazine, covering the latest trends in witch fashion; symmetrically, Barbara's career as a reviewer of magical literature was starting to kick off. Amanda couldn't help but notice that the pair had translated their high school bully tendencies into professional constructive criticism.

Hannah and Barbara's condition continued to improve, but their ability to form coherent thoughts and express them intelligibly sharply declined as evening became night.

"I want tea," Hannah whined, sprawling out with her head in Amanda's lap. "Amanda! Make me some tea!"

"You can't even drink it if you won't even sit up."

"Boo! I'm British! I can't live without tea!"

"I can't believe you're oppressing my wife," Barbara said, repeatedly nudging Amanda with her foot as she lounged around on her side of the bed. "An American like you would never understand our need for tea."

"I literally made tea for you two earlier today."

"You did," Hannah said slowly, her sulkiness disappearing instantly. "You must love us so much."

Amanda's heart jumped up her throat and punched her in the mouth from the inside. "You must really be out of it."

"Nuh-uh. You love us, and we love you too."

Amanda covertly slid her phone out of her pocket and started recording video. For reasons. "What did you say? I didn't catch that."

"We love you," Hannah and Barbara said in unison, breaking into a fit of giggles. "Marry me!"

Anymore of this and Amanda was going to die on the spot. "You're already married. To each other. You're already taken."

Hannah snorted. "So? Since when do you care about the rules?"

Barbara made kissy noises at her. "Become a bigamist with us, Amanda!"

"You two need to go to sleep already." Amanda stopped the recording and put her flirtatious friends with benefits to bed. She knew she was probably clear to go home now—Hannah and Barbara showed all signs of a perfect recovery—but she was too tired to get back on her broom tonight. Not that she couldn't fly in the dark; she'd just rather pass out after a hard day's work taking care of two former high school bullies.

As she curled up on the foot of the bed, Amanda kept mentally replaying that recorded conversation in her head.

* * *

Barbara woke up feeling worlds better than yesterday. She was practically a new woman. With a noise like a contented cat, she stretched her arms and sat up in her bed.

And saw Amanda curled up at her feet.

Right. She and Hannah had gotten sick and Amanda had taken care of them. It was extremely nice of her. They really owed her one, but Barbara doubted Amanda would accept a "reward for services rendered," chivalrous butch that she was.

At her side—as always—Hannah woke up. She leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Good morning, babe."

"Morning," Barbara replied. "Morning to you too, you big kitty cat." She nudged Amanda with her foot.

Amanda jolted awake, sitting up and turning around to face the wives. "Yo." She ran her hand through her messy hair—by the Nines, she was so sexy when she did that. "So, uh, how you guys feeling?"

"Fantastic," Hannah said. "Thanks for, um, taking care of us." The untrained eye might have mistaken her blush for a lasting fever, but Barbara knew that her wife was just embarrassed about relying on Amanda. Those two were so hot-and-cold with each other. It was fun to watch.

"I'm feeling wonderful," Barbara followed up. "All thanks to you."

Amanda turned around and made a big show of stretching. "Great. I'm gonna need a whole day to rest after this. You two are pretty high maintenance." As if she hadn't known that for years.

"You're welcome to leave anytime," Hannah bristled. When were these two going to just admit they genuinely liked each other?

Amanda looked back over her shoulder with a devious glint in her eye. "That's no way to talk to someone you proposed to."

Hannah went bright red. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Amanda grinned, took out her phone, and played a recording.

_ "What did you say? I didn't catch that." _ Amanda's voice.

_ "We love you."  _ Hannah and Barbara synchronized. _ "Marry me!" _

_ "You're already married. To each other. You're already taken." _

_ "So? Since when do you care about the rules?" _ Hannah's voice again.

Barbara's voice next.  _ "Become a bigamist with us, Amanda!" _

Amanda thumbed her phone and stopped the playback. "Very touching. If you don't think I won't be playing this the next time our group meets up, you're dead wrong."

"We were sick!" Hannah objected. "That's not admissible in court!"

"I doubt Akko or Diana will see it that way. Do you think I should make that my ringtone? Every time you guys call, I'll get to hear you say  _ 'We love you'. _ "

Hannah spluttered, but Barbara didn't lose her cool so easily. "Aw, that's sweet. You want to hear it again that badly?"

"What?" Amanda's face blushed as brightly as Hannah's. "That's not what I—"

"We love you. Don't we, Hannah?"

Hannah looked like she was going to choke on her own tongue, but there wasn't a force in the universe that could keep her from matching her wife. "Y-yeah. We love you, Amanda."

To her credit, Amanda's reaction wouldn't have appeared so extreme if she hadn't been on the very edge of the bed. She flinched backward and fell onto the floor. Grumbling, she climbed back onto the bed. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Of course not, sweetheart," Barbara said. "But how about we make it up to you with a proper proposal?"

Hannah was flustered for a moment, then followed suit. "Yeah, Amanda. How about it?"

Amanda looked back and forth between the two wives, clearly uncertain as to how her little prank had gotten turned on her so quickly. "I, uh, well." She got uncharacteristically serious. "It's not like you guys even could marry me."

"Not officially," Hannah said. "But are you going to let that stop you landing two gorgeous women like us?"

Amanda made a strangled noise. "You're just looking for more free service, aren't you? I'm gonna go now." And so she did, running off with her tail between her legs.

"That's not an answer!" Barbara shouted after her. "Is it because you want a ring first?"

Hannah shook her head. "You weren't serious about all that. were you?"

Barbara smiled. "Why not? I know you love her too."

Cue a renewed blush. "It's not like I—" Hannah cut herself off. There wasn't any point in trying to hide the truth from her other half. Or third, as the case might be. "Amanda doesn't seem to feel the same."

"Come on. You know her better than that." If Amanda was going to play hard to get, they'd just have to chase harder, and they had the advantage of numbers. "So how soon do you think we can get her to come over here again?”


	3. Pride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannah develops a painfully annoying crush on Akko and has to choose between ignoring her feelings or swallowing her pride and getting the girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not to be an 11th-century theologian, but whenever I see the word "pride" I assume it's referring to the sin, not lgbt pride. I didn't realize that would be the main reading until I saw fanart to that effect and I'd already started writing this, so I'm sticking with stick-up-her-butt Hannah xD

Hannah thought the hardest thing she would ever have to do in her life was apologize to Akko. Little did she know how the apology would pale in comparison to what would come after.

When all was said and done, Hannah's fretting was completely unnecessary. Her stomach churned at the thought of approaching her, and she started sweating whenever they were close. After putting it off way longer than she meant to, she picked a day and waited for the right opportunity to speak to Akko alone.

She ended up having to create one herself. As Akko was leaving the cafeteria with her friends, Hannah followed close behind her and tried to get her attention.

"Hey, Akko," she called out, but the other girl didn't hear her. Eyebrows knitting together in annoyance, Hannah reached out and grabbed Akko's sleeve.

"Wait, you dolt—" Hannah flinched at her own temper with Akko. She'd have to work on that. "I mean, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure!" Akko said, stopping and turning to face her. "What's up?"

Hannah had expected some resistance or suspicion, but here Akko was smiling at her as if there had never been any bad blood between them.

She took a deep breath. "I want to apologize."

"For what? Wait—are you the one who put powdered mandrake in my socks!?"

"What? No!" Akko's life sure was eventful. "I was talking about how I... how I used to bully you. I'm sorry."

"I accept your apology." Akko frowned. "Wait, didn't you already apologize a while ago?"

Hannah had indeed, with Barbara. "It didn't feel like enough."

"Aw, well that's sweet of you." Akko broke Hannah's grip on her sleeve and grabbed her hand instead. "Who knew you had it in you."

"I'm not being sweet!" Hannah jerked her hand away from Akko's. "This is just common decency!"

"Oh, I get it," Akko said, grinning impishly. "You're a _tsundere_."

"Wh-what does that mean!?"

"I could explain it to you, but I like knowing something you don't." Akko winked.

Hannah swallowed the vitriol bubbling up in her throat. She reminded herself that she was trying to be nicer. "Fine! Keep your secrets!"

She stomped off down the hallway toward the stairs. Then she remembered that she was headed the other way. Akko giggled at her as she walked past her.

Her first impulse was to insult Akko, but she bit her tongue and blurted out "Have a nice day!" instead, which only made her laugh harder.

Hannah didn't know why she even bothered to apologize in the first place! Rather, she did know, but it was hard to remember that when she was so _annoyed_ with Akko. That smug winking face of hers _infuriated_ Hannah, almost as much as her touchy-feely lack of respect for personal space! (not that she minded when it was Barbara doing it, of course!)

"She's so weird," Hannah grumbled under her breath as she headed to class. Luckily for her, Akko's weirdness included being quick to forgive and taking things at face value. Still, there was something about her that got under Hannah's skin...

Hannah clenched her fists, digging her fingernails into her clammy palms. It didn't matter. She no longer had any obligations to Akko. They might be running in the same social circle now, but it's not like they had to be _friends._ Or anything.

* * *

As it were, the absolution of Hannah's guilt over her bullying removed a tension between herself and Akko, allowing them to get along better than anyone would have expected. Hannah made good on her resolution and was nicer to Akko; not that she wasn't rude, she just wasn't mean.

"Hannah!" Akko whined to her one day. "I forgot about the magical numerology assignment and Diana won't let me copy hers!"

"You're going to flunk classes again if you're not careful," Hannah said, rolling her eyes as she produced her own completed assignment. "Now stop clinging to me, you big baby."

It was inevitable that they would spend time together due to being in the same circle of friends, but they became closer than Hannah ever expected. They weren't friends exactly, but they weren't indifferent to each other either. It was weird.

In class she often found her eyes drifting over to Akko, furtively watching the commoner witch's face flit through an array of expressions as she oscillated between distraction and hurriedly scribbling notes to catch up.

"Barbara, I have a weird question."

Barbara set down her pen and looked at her best friend and waited for her inquiry.

"Is Akko... cute?"

Barbara blinked at her. Her eyes flicked over to Akko for a moment as if she needed to check. "From a certain perspective, I guess."

"Cause, like, she's got nice hair, right? A cute hairstyle anyway. Her hair's probably all tangled though, and what's up with that mini-ponytail? It's distracting how it's always bouncing around. Also she's got, like, a cute smile or whatever, but would it kill her to stop making all those weird expressions? She has some nice legs too, but you can only see them because she wears her skirt so short. Seriously, how is she allowed to get away with that? It's like—"

Hannah shut her mouth when she realized Barbara was staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing," Barbara said and resumed taking notes. After a moment she said, "It's just kind of odd to hear you talk about Akko like that."

"I talk about Akko all the time." Well, more like complain, but same difference. "Anyway. Don't you think it's weird that she's not more popular? Maybe if she were more fashionable..."

Barbara pursed her lips and said nothing.

Hannah didn't think anything of her best friend's reaction. Instead she went back to gazing at Akko and pondered how a girl could be so paradoxically cute and annoying. She would have to do something about it herself.

When she couldn't stand it any longer, she confronted Akko during one of their "study sessions"—i.e. Akko copying Hannah's homework.

"To pay us back for all this help, you're coming to Blytonbury with me this weekend," Hannah said. "I'm tired of your terrible fashion sense. You're getting an upgrade. And no buts."

"Hey, I don't need help being cute," Akko said.

Hannah wasn't sure she disagreed, but she'd rather eat a handful of troll toenails than so aloud. She prepared for an argument, but Akko agreed despite her initial protest. Hannah tried not to be too pleased with this result.

Resisting the urge to be too happy persisted up till the day of their shopping trip and it didn't let up once the fun started. Hannah enjoyed bossing Akko around a little too much, telling her to try on this and that. So many outfits to pick from, and they all looked so good on Akko. Hannah grinned. She was right when she said what Akko needed was a new wardrobe, and she was so satisfied that she had to actively restrain herself from buying everything for Akko.

"It was actually pretty fun," Hannah told her roommates when she was back in her dorm room. The three girls were having tea as Hannah regaled them about her outing. "Akko's pretty cute when she's not being a weirdo dork."

"Akko is indeed a delight to spend time with," Diana said. "At the risk of sounding petty, I've been telling you that for months. Akko is a wonderful friend, and I hope you grow closer with her."

"Pfft, I don't need to be any closer with her, I'm fine with exactly how close we are, or aren't, right now. She's like, okay, or whatever, but it's not like I like her that much—"

"By the Nines," Barbara said. "Just ask her out already."

Hannah's face grew hot. "Why would I do that!?"

"Because you're obsessed with her. You're always staring at her when she's around and talking about her when she's not. I know what you're like when you've got a crush, and you're doing it right now.

"She's right, you know," Diana chimed in. "The amount of time you spend with Akko has increased dramatically, as had the amount of time you spend discussing her with Barbara and myself. I may be mistaken, but it appears that you've developed an infatuation with her."

Hannah spluttered. If even Diana was saying it, it must be true. That would explain why she spent so much time thinking about how soft Akko's hands were. But...

"Well, just because I have a crush on Akko doesn't mean I have to do anything about it."

"Certainly," Diana conceded. "A crush is not an obligation."

"Wait, you're not going to try to convince me to ask her out or something?"

"Not if you don't want to," Barbara said. "If you want to stay being friends—well, frenemies—that's up to you."

Hannah couldn't believe what she was hearing. This wasn't how these things were supposed to go. Friends always tried to push each other into pursuing their crushes, if for no other reason than for teasing potential. Not that she _wanted_ to be convinced or anything. Just because she was _attracted_ to Akko didn't mean she wanted to _date_ her. She was a free agent.

"Just don't complain if somebody else asks Akko out first," Barbara added.

"I won't."

And she believed it. Hannah knew that her best friend was trying to make her panic over Akko and get jealous over potential rivals, and she wasn't going to fall for it. In fact! Akko getting into a relationship would only be to her benefit. Then she'd have to give up on her feelings for her. In the meantime, Hannah would simply act toward Akko the way she always had. As a _friend_.

This was more easily said than done.

Being aware of her own feelings at last made spending time with Akko twice as hard. Hannah became hyper-aware of her own gestures, questioning how Akko would read into anything she did. What if Hannah stood too close to her? What if her hand got too clammy whenever Akko tried to hold her hand (something Akko liked to do with _overwhelming_ frequency)? What if she was, like, _too nice_ to Akko and her crush figured her out?

Then again, this was _Akko_ she was fretting about. Even if Hannah told her to her face that she liked her, she still might not get it. Jennifer knows how many times Akko caught her staring either smiled or stuck her tongue out at her, depending on the vibe they had going that day, and stayed none the wiser. Hannah planned on keeping it that way.

The last thing Hannah wanted was for Akko to find out she liked her. Nines, it was bad enough that Barbara and Diana knew. Not that she was embarrassed about liking Akko. Well, she was, but Akko wasn't the problem; Hannah was. She was embarrassed that she was carrying a torch for someone she used to bully, someone she looked down upon only to elevate them so high in her esteem. Hannah felt like she had lost some kind of contest, and she hated losing. It was childish, she knew, but just because she was being nicer didn't mean she was going to swallow the pride she'd cultivated for years (perhaps in vain).

Besides, would Akko even humour her if she did ask her out? It was far more likely that she would reject Hannah and taunt her ex-bully for having burned a bridge and regretted finding herself on the wrong side of the river. Worse yet, Akko might say yes and be _insufferably_ smug about it. Hannah could already imagine her crush's _infuriating_ smirk and wink as she would put on a show of _taking pity_ on the _poor ex-bully_ who had so _miserably_ fallen for the girl who bullied her and was now _begging her_ to go out with her. And maybe she would, and Hannah would never hear the end of it. Not if they became girlfriends, or if they got married, or—

Hannah cringed as her train of thought derailed and refused to think about the resulting wreck. The point was that she wasn't going to try going out with Akko, and there was no way in hell she was going to let her crush find out about her feelings.

All she had to do was stay strong. That couldn't be too hard, right?

Except staying away from Akko was getting harder and harder. Hannah needed to keep an eye on her idiot. To make sure she kept out of trouble. Not so she could keep secretly checking her out or anything like that. Get your mind out of the gutter.

Everything came to a head one day in the Blue Team's dorm room. Hannah decided to get ahead of Akko's habit of forgetting assignments by making her do it the day it was given to them. Diana and Barbara had gracefully excused themselves, leaving Hannah alone with Akko and her own temptations.

They were sitting side-by-side at the desk to facilitate the best results for Akko with a good working environment. Unfortunately for Hannah, this arrangement meant that she was closer to Akko than her feeble heart was prepared for. She had to hammer her brain with the assignment questions to keep her mind from wandering.

Though she complained frequently, Akko worked diligently. However, whenever she hit a roadblock, her eyes inevitably strayed to Hannah's sheet.

"Stop peeking at my answers," Hannah said, covering her paper with her arms. "You don't need to copy mine when you have the time to figure it out yourself."

Akko pouted. "What's the point of magical numerology anyway? It's hard and boring."

Hannah had no idea what it was useful for, but she wasn't going to convince Akko by admitting that. "You need to learn how to do this work yourself," she said. "I'm not going to be taking care of you forever."

"Aw, why not?" Akko whined. "Don't you love me, Han-Han?" She was already giggling in anticipation of Hannah's response.

Hannah's heart roundhouse kicked her ribcage. Had Akko discovered her crush on her? No, this was just the way Akko talked to her friends. She was safe.

Even though she knew she was safe, Hannah couldn't stop herself from reacting defensively. "D-don't get ahead of yourself! I'm only looking after you now so you don't bother Diana instead." This was technically not a lie, in that a desire to preserve Diana's peace of mind had been her original motive. Or excuse.

Akko seemed amused rather than offended. "I was right. You really are a tsundere."

"I don't even know what that means!"

"Maybe you're the one who should hit the books then," Akko said, putting on that _infuriating_ smirk. Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin." Hannah assumed, correctly, that it was a Japanese term, but that was the extent of her knowledge. She'd wondered lately if it would be cringy if she learned some of her crush's first language to try to impress her.

"In this case, it means you're too shy to admit that we're friends, and it keeps getting cuter since we keep getting closer." Was Hannah imagining it, or did Akko just lean in?

Either way, Akko's words were enough to make Hannah blush and proverbially shove both feet in her mouth. If only she'd done it literally, then she wouldn't end up regretting what came out of her. "I don't see you as a friend!"

The light in Akko's died, and Hannah just about died with it. "Oh. Right. I was getting ahead of myself. Sorry." She turned away and hung her head. Like a kicked puppy.

Hannah was a jackass and she knew it. Even if she didn't mean to put it that way, she wouldn't be able to just take it back. She'd resisted swallowing her pride this long, but her ego wasn't worth hurting Akko. Her crush would have to know the truth.

"I didn't mean that! What I meant to say is that we're not _that_ close. I mean—" Hannah groaned at herself. "Sorry, I mean that when I don't want to be friends with—no, when I think about you, I'm not thinking about you as a friend—BY THE NINES WHY IS THIS SO HARD!?" At least Akko was looking at her with confusion instead of sadness as she stumbled over her words. Hannah took a deep breath and let everything spill out. "What I'm trying to say is that I have a crush on you, okay!"

Akko took a moment to react, her eyebrows shooting up to her hairline. "Wait, like a crush, crush?"

"No," Hannah said, pouring every ounce of sarcasm she had into the single syllable. "Crush, like I want to crush you into a pulp for asking stupid questions. Of course that kind of crush!"

"Hey, I wouldn't put it past you. Wait! Are you saying you like me? Like, _like_ like me?"

"Yes!"

"Oh. _Oh._ " Akko's cheeks turned pink, which only made her cuter, which only made Hannah more _annoyed_. "I guess you really are a tsundere. Gosh. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! I've been sure for weeks!" Hannah huffed and puffed and wanted to die. "I get that I'm probably the last person you'd want crushing on you, but that's what you get for being so bloody cute!"

"Oh, so it's my fault?"

"Damn right it's your fault!" Hannah leaned in until they were almost nose-to-nose. "You're too cute! Your hair, your face, your entire aesthetic! You're so cute it makes me sick." Heartsick, that is. "And you're just so... enthusiastic all the time. Seriously, where do you get all that energy? Are you literally a ball of sunshine? And another thing..." She trailed off as she realized she'd been baited. Akko was grinning ear to ear. She turned away and groaned, "By the nines, you're _insufferable_!"

"Really?" Akko leaned against her back, speaking damnably close to her ear. "Sounds like you'd like to suffer me."

"Shut up."

"So... wanna go out with me?"

"Shut u—what?" Hannah couldn't believe what she was hearing. She turned back around in her seat and came to face to face with her crush again—how had she not died from this much close contact with Akko?

"Do you want to go out with me?" Akko asked. "It sounds like you really like me, and you've been really nice to me lately, so why not give you a chance? Besides..." she averted her eyes and rubbed the back of her neck nervously, "...you're kinda really pretty, and, well..." She blush deepened.

Hannah's heart skipped a beat. It wasn't exactly a heartfelt confession of mutual love, but she could work with this. "I'm the prettiest girl you'll ever get a date with." Wait, that was rude and bitchy. "I mean, I'm going to take you on the best date you've ever had."

  
  



	4. "That's My Hoodie"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The greatest debate of the century: does this hoodie belong to Akko or Amanda?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm too stubborn not to complete this dsfksfksds

Nobody expected Amanda and Akko to end up together, least of all themselves. One night they were having a beer together and bemoaning their mutual bad luck with the ladies, and the next morning they woke up to each other feeling awkward as fuck.

"I can't believe we just did that," Akko groaned. "That" of course, meaning each other.

"No point in worrying about it," Amanda said. "What's a little randomly hooking up between friends?" It's not like this was going to go anywhere, right?

Naturally, it did. Turns out that neither of them had a reason  _ not _ to date the other, and once they tried it out, it worked out surprisingly well. They were the only ones who could keep up with each other—or as Hannah put it, "No one else would put up with you two."

Akko and Amanda were an odd couple, but they made it work. They moved in together almost immediately and settled into a chaotic rhythm. By some miracle, they survived long enough to figure out how to organize around each other's bad habits and sloppiness. They brought out the best in each other—though half of this was in the interest of one-upping the other as the better girlfriend. But that didn't mean they didn't have their squabbles.

"Hey! That's  _ my _ hoodie!" Akko said, pointing an accusing finger at Amanda, who was in the middle of pulling a large, pale blue sweater over her head. Both women had just rolled out of bed at the extremely reasonable hour of eleven in the morning (hey, it was a weekend!) to start their day.

Amanda stopped with the hoodie around her neck. "No, it's mine. This hoodie's been mine since forever."

"Nuh-uh! I was wearing it just yesterday."

"Yeah, I was letting you borrow it, and now I'm wearing it."

"But it's  _ mine _ !"

They scowled at each other from across the bed. Hoodie disputes were serious. The couple frequently borrowed each other's hoodies (the benefits of having a girlfriend) mostly because their ability to properly coordinate laundry loads had yet to manifest, and one girlfriend often had no clean hoodies of her own to wear, a problem fixed through borrowing. However, the hoodie's original owner had first claim to the hoodie, leading to occasional tensions like this situation.

"Okay, okay." Amanda pulled the hoodie off and tossed it on their bed. "Let's sort this out like big girls."

Akko nodded. "Let's do a hoodie count then. That's indisputable."

They had agreed to a limit on hoodies when they moved in together to keep their closet from getting overwhelmed. A gal couldn't wear hoodies alone, after all ("Not in public, anyway," Amanda would say). Keeping track of whose hoodie was whose could be difficult, what with all the borrowing, but they were always able to sort things out once they had all the hoodies in front of them.

Akko and Amanda went through their apartment and scrounged up all the hoodies they could find, taking the clean ones out of the closet, searching the dirty laundry as well as the clean laundry which had yet to make it to its proper place. checking in, under, and around the furniture for wayward sweaters. No stone was left unturned—why they had rocks in their apartment was anyone's guess. They laid out what they found on top of their bed.

Eleven hoodies. One extra. The light blue one.

"Huh," Amanda said, scratching her head. "Did you buy any new hoodies?"

"No," Akko replied. "Did you?"

"Nope."

The couple stared at the offending hoodie.

"Well,  _ one of us _ brought an extra hoodie in here," Akko said.

Amanda narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying  _ one of us _ bought a hoodie when she shouldn't have?"

"I dunno, did you?"

"Did you? Are you sure you didn't lose track of how many hoodies you have?"

The girlfriends glared at each other, as if they could do a polygraph test through eye contact. Neither of them showed any sign of relenting. Worst come to worst, a tickle fight might break out.

Amanda let out a deep sigh. "This isn't going anywhere." Left to their own devices, they could argue about this all day. Their previous squabbles had taught them the futility of trying to sort things out that way. "

"Diana and Hannah can settle this!" Akko said. Their enemies-turned-friends were coming over to chill that afternoon (within an hour, to be precise).

"Yuck, I hate asking Cavendish for help," Amanda groaned. "We better clean this place up before the snobs get here." Their apartment wasn't up to aristocratic standards on the best of days, and they had spent the last half hour tearing it apart looking for the hoodies.

No sooner had they stowed away the last bit of debris in their bedroom closet than Diana and Hannah arrived.

"It's cleaner than last time," Diana said as she stepped inside. "Did you tidy up in the last half hour?"

"Yeah, we cleaned up just for you," Amanda said, rolling her eyes. "Doesn't that make you feel special?"

"Actually we'd prefer if your apartment was always this habitable," Hannah said as she put her shoes away. "Do you know how much of a hassle it would be for us if one of you tripped over something and snapped your neck?"

"Yeah, you sound like you'd be real torn up about it."

Akko cut in before the squabbling could continue. "I made tea!" She brought a tray with four mugs of tea into the living room and set it down on the table.

"Thanks, babe," Amanda said, and threw herself across their ancient couch. It creaked beneath her as she reached for one of the mugs. Akko secured her own mug of tea and sat down more delicately next to her lounging girlfriend.

Diana sat down on the love seat on the opposite side of the table, and Hannah sheepishly followed her lead, seemingly afraid to sit too close.

"So, what have you two rascals been up to?" Diana asked.

"Well, have we got a story for you."

Amanda and Akko brought out the offending hoodie and quickly explained their argument, talking over each other in the interest of getting their own version of the story across.

"So let me get this straight," Hannah said when they were done. "You two started arguing about whose sweater this is, and now you're trying to pin this illicit hoodie on each other?"

"Look, this is a very complicated situation," Akko said. "We don't expect you to understand all the nuances."

"And why is that?" Hannah asked.

"No. Because you're single."

"What does that have to do with anything!?" Hannah huffed.

"Quiet down, dear," Diana said, gently laying a hand on Hannah's arm, and quiet down she did. "Sorting out this squabble will be relatively simple."

Amanda squinted at her. "You're not going to take sides, are you?" The teacher's pet had always had a fondness for Akko.

"This is not a matter of taking sides," Diana said. "Besides, that hoodie was originally mine."

"What!?" Amanda and Akko said in unison.

"If I recall correctly—" Diana's memory was perfect, "—Akko and I were spending time together on a chilly day and I lent her my hoodie because she was underdressed. I ended up forgetting to ask for it back, and I didn't particularly miss having it, so I just let her keep it. The thing was too big for me anyway. It's the only hoodie I've ever owned."

"So, uh, do you want it back?"

Diana shook her head. "As I previously mentioned, it's not the right size for me. Furthermore, I'd rather not wear a garment that's been passed between the two of you so many times." Everyone in the room understood this was mostly directed at Amanda.

"Technically neither of you broke your 'five hoodies' rule, so there's nothing more for you to fight over. You can either get rid of the hoodie or incorporate it into your bizarre wardrobe rules. Whatever floats your proverbial boat."

"I can't believe you guys made so much fuss over a sweater," Hannah said, rolling her eyes.

Amanda snorted. "What, are you jealous that we got the hoodie and you didn't?"

Hannah spluttered over being so easy to read.

Diana frowned. "Why would Hannah be so jealous of a hand-me-down hoodie?"

Why indeed? Back at Luna Nova, Akko and Amanda had made approximately nine million jokes about Hannah simping for Diana—the rate of these jokes rapidly increased after Barbara ended up dating Lotte and Sucy, which was its own story. Hannah had rarely left Diana's side, especially after Barbara had her own girlfriends to worry about, and Akko and Amanda had a field day with it. To her credit, Hannah valiantly defended herself by telling them to "not make it weird" and to "fuck off." However, her ability to protest without blushing had wilted away by the time they graduated from Luna Nova, and the jokes only escalated when Hannah and Diana moved in together.

Diana, in contrast, registered none of the jokes. Probably because she didn't understand what "simping" was, and she dismissed all sexual humour on principle.

"I'm not jealous," Hannah grumbled. "There's nothing of value those two have that I don't. Dust bunnies aren't a valid form of currency." A ball of dust the couple had missed was poking out from under the table; Hannah used her wand to enchant it a pair of legs so it could run back under the couch.

"You're wrong, Hannah," Akko said, throwing an arm over her girlfriend's shoulders. "We have the most valuable thing ever."

"Yeah," Amanda followed up, barely able to keep a straight face. "We have each other."

The couple burst into peals of laughter at the sight of Hannah's disgusted reaction to their saccharine act.

"Oh, rub it in, why don't you," Hannah said sourly. "Enjoy it while you can. I'm not going to be single forever."

Diana frowned. "I wasn't aware that you had someone in mind." She appeared quite put off at this. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Hannah's face turned red. The answer to Diana's question was the same as the interrogator, but she couldn't very well admit that, especially in present company. "I d-didn't say there was a-a-anyone," she spluttered, a denial which only Diana could take at face value.

Akko flashed her girlfriend her most conspiratorial wink. "Don't worry, Hannah. If you can't find someone to date you, me and Amanda will take you in."

Before Hannah could react, Diana butted in. "Don't be absurd. If Hannah's going to settle for anyone, it might as well be me. We're already cohabitating, after all."

"Do you think Diana knows she likes Hannah," Amanda whispered to Akko, "or do you think she's oblivious as ever?"

Akko and Amanda verbally poked and prodded at their guests for the duration of their visits, hoping to shove either of them into a realization, but to no avail. A single silver lining: Diana covertly asked Akko where she could buy a quality hoodie—presumably for Hannah—when she walked them to the door.

"So what are we gonna do with the hoodie?" Amanda asked as her girlfriend flopped next to her on the couch.

"I dunno." Akko looked at the pale blue sweater. "It's too good to throw away, but I don't want to keep it if it's gonna cause problems." They could increase their hoodie allowance by one, but that wouldn't solve the problem of whose hoodie this one was, and they were both pretty attached to it.

"Wait, I've got it." Amanda slipped the hoodie over her shoulders but left it unzipped. She patted her lap. "Get over her, binch."

Akko grinned, following her girlfriend's train of thought. She threw herself into Amanda's lap, a little too heavily just to be annoying.

Amanda zipped up the hoodie around the two of them, sealing them into a very cozy embrace. "This is the best way to share a hoodie."

"It's our get-along shirt!" Akko giggled as Amanda put her arms around her waist. "Not to be gay, but I love you."

"Love you too, Akko. No homo."


End file.
